Blurb:
Vicious shifters are on the hunt and will devour anything that stands in the way. And getting in the way is exactly what Nicole must do.

Nicole Williams hopes for nothing more than to Restart like any normal Arete and gain access to the magic she’ll possess. But when she does Restart, she’s accused of gruesome murder, and she learns she must travel halfway around the world to save her best friend’s life.

Knowing that the evil Hounds of Tindalos are hot on her tail and that they’ll stop at nothing to kill her before she hides her best friend from them forever, she invites her boyfriend, Conor, to come along as backup. But Conor’s plans may not line up with hers.

Danger, intrigue, and harrowing fights with evil await you in Forsake, a Mosaic Chronicles novel. Start reading now to immerse yourself in the adventure!

Excerpt:

Nicole had only been sitting for maybe five seconds when a woman she’d never seen before approached her.

“Are you Nicole Williams?” the woman asked, her gaze darting around the room.

“Yes.”

The woman sat next to her and leaned forward. “I don’t have much time—they know I’m here. I have information about Lizzie.” She hesitated a moment before saying, “She’s in danger. And you must protect her before they realize she’s who they’re looking for.”

The woman stood, knocking her chair over as she glanced across the room, then back at Nicole. “I have to go now.”

“Wait!” Nicole started, but the woman rushed away. What was that all about? Lizzie was in danger? How?

A commotion started up near the front door, and Nicole watched as the woman got detained by one of the big security guards Dad had hired. Tiffany approached and began questioning the lady.

Nicole sighed, knowing what was about to happen. Tiffany did not like people attending her parties who weren’t invited.

Sure enough, voices raised, tempers flared, and several people crowded near the front door to watch the woman get kicked out.

Just then, something—a sort of pressure—pushed against Nicole’s chest. She looked down, but nothing was there. Another wave of pressure rippled through the entire room, making her nose tingle. Was that magic? Had she just sensed someone’s powers?

The floor quaked, knocking everyone down. The walls and ceiling vibrated, and the windows that covered one wall rumbled, then shattered. Glass exploded into the room. It swirled into a massive vortex, spinning faster and faster.

Then the lights went out, bathing the room in semi-darkness. Several people screamed. The main doors to the ballroom were flung open, and the backup generators kicked on.

Nicole gasped, her hands fluttering to her mouth. The woman lay on the interior steps that led up to the front door, one leg awkwardly pinned beneath her.

Hands still at her mouth, Nicole stepped across the ballroom floor, needing to see if the woman was okay. The closer she got, though, the more she realized that something was horribly wrong.

The woman’s entire body had been stabbed with tiny glass shards. They pierced through her dress into her legs, chest, and stomach. Her throat, arms, and face were coated in them. Her mouth was wide open, so full of shards that it made Nicole choke. Even her eyes were covered with the sharp little things. Blood pooled around the lifeless woman, dripping down the marble steps.

Nicole screamed, barely noticing as several others did too.

“Someone call the cops!” a man yelled.

That wasn’t necessary—one of Dad’s best friends was a detective. He pulled out his badge and ordered everyone to sit at their tables. No one was happy to be told to what to do, but fairly quickly, Detective Brooks had things under control.

“Why are you holding everyone here?” a woman called out. “It’s obvious that whoever killed her is an Arete.”

Nicole felt her ears turn red. She was the only Arete present—Tiffany would never invite one to a party.

And everyone else knew that too.

As one, a hundred pairs of eyes turned and stared at her.

“It was Nicole!” someone shouted. “She did this.”

Nicole shook her head. “No, I didn’t! There’s no way—no way I would have been able to.”

Several people began shouting at once. Nicole’s eyes scanned the group for Tiffany and Dad, but they were busy arguing.

Detective Brooks stared at her for a moment, his eyes narrowed. He strode to Nicole, grabbed her by the shoulder, and flipped her around, pushing her stomach against the table. He pulled her arms behind her back and handcuffed her, giving her the standard Miranda warning.

They obviously couldn’t hear her over the commotion. Even more people were shouting and screaming now. Several were insisting on calling their attorneys while others were pointing at Nicole.

Two officers pulled her out of the building and searched her for weapons before pushing her into the backseat of a cop car. Her face burned as she felt eyes on her. She looked out the window at the night sky, feeling tears of anger, fear, and frustration building up.

She’d been arrested for a murder she couldn’t possibly have committed.

About the Author:
Andrea Pearson is an avid reader and outdoor enthusiast who plays several instruments, not including the banjo, and loves putting together musical arrangements. Her favorite sports are basketball and football, though several knee surgeries and incurably awful coordination prevent her from playing them.

Andrea graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor of science degree in Communications Disorders. She is the author of many full-length novels (the Kilenya Series and Mosaic Chronicles) and several novellas. Writing is the chocolate of her life – it is, in fact, the only thing she ever craves. Being with her family and close friends is where she’s happiest, and she loves thunderstorms, the ocean, hiking, public speaking, painting, and traveling.